Another View: Consider raising Medicare age

File/The Times

The following editorial appeared recently in The Daily World, Opelousas.

In spite of opposition from groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons, Republicans have proposed raising the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.

In times of economic crisis, sacrifices must be made to keep the nation solvent - and you have to start somewhere. We believe this could be an important first step.

Raising the age of eligibility by two years will save 5 percent in Medicare spending, according to an Associated Press report, which over time, will amount to billions of dollars.

It's not the first time seniors have been called upon to help improve the nation's fiscal health. The age for receiving full Social Security retirement benefits is gradually being raised over a 20-year period, which began in 2000.

The idea is that people are living longer - about eight years longer - and are, for the most part, healthier at age 65 than they were in years past.

Opponents of the move point out the down side. Raising the eligibility age will mean fewer people paying premiums each month, which will probably mean about a 3 percent rise in monthly premiums for participants.

In addition to having monthly contributions taken from their checks when they were working, Medicare participants also pay premiums that average about $100 each month for Medicare Part B and separate premiums for part D prescription coverage.

Another part of the down side, say opponents, is that some seniors may experience a two-year gap in coverage if they retire at 65, for instance, from a physically demanding job, and lose insurance coverage at work. This is a particularly high risk in states like Louisiana that refuse to participate in expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income adults.

But the idea may never get off the ground. According to recent reports, although President Barack Obama seemed to be considering the idea in 2011, he has recently indicated that he will consider changing the Medicare rules only if Congress were to agree to raise taxes on the wealthy. ...

While delayed benefits and higher premiums are not an appealing prospect, neither is spiraling national debt and deficits that would probably result in a deepening recession. ...

Who better to lead the way than the baby boomers who were born in the wake of World War II - the era with the greatest exercise of national belt-tightening in this country's history?

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Another View: Consider raising Medicare age

In spite of opposition from groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons, Republicans have proposed raising the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.